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"voter" in seven languages

Meaningvoter

Spanish

votante

/boˈtante/

masc.other source · votar (from voto ← Latin VŌTUM) + -ante

Elector, the cognate of the French and Italian words, is also used, especially in formal registers.

French

électeur

/elɛktœʁ/

masc.learned

Feminine électrice.

Italian

elettore

/eletˈtore/

masc.learned

Feminine elettrice.

Portuguese

eleitor

/elejˈtoh/

masc.learned

The -ct- → -it- is a medieval adaptation, as in Portuguese leite and noite.

Romanian

alegător

/aleɡəˈtor/

masc.other source · alege 'to choose' (from a prefixed Latin LEGERE) + agent suffix -ător

Catalan

votant

/buˈtan/

masc.other source · votar (from vot ← Latin VŌTUM) + -ant

English

voter

/ˈvoʊtɚ/

other source · vote (Latin VŌTUM) + -er

English → ItalianvoterelettoreNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: elect, election, elector.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

ELECTŌREM‘one who chooses’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

French and Italian call voters 'choosers' (from ELIGERE 'to pick out'); everyday Spanish and English name them after the vote itself. Italian assimilates ct to tt even in learned words: elettore, elezione.

English relatives: elect, election, elector

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In a sentence

  • esLos votantes decidirán el domingo.
  • frLes électeurs décideront dimanche.
  • itGli elettori decideranno domenica.
  • ptOs eleitores vão decidir no domingo.
  • roAlegătorii vor decide duminică.
  • caEls votants decidiran diumenge.
  • enVoters will decide on Sunday.

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